The numismatic chronicle and journal of the Royal Numismatic Society

IX.
ON SOME UNPUBLISHED COINS OF ATHENS AND
ONE OF ELEUSIS.
TfiERE is hardly any class of Greek coins except, perhaps,
the beautiful series of Sicily that may be regarded as
better known than those of Athens. The exhaustive work
of M. Beule, published in 1858, 1
contained a complete
review of all that was known upon the subject, and a cata-
logue
of even the minutest varieties in all the different
collections of Europe. Hardly any additions have since
been made to the series. To the ordinary collector, indeed,
the coins of Athens offer but little attraction. They are
not remarkable for artistic design or beauty of execution ;
while, with the exception of the later copper coinage, they
present scarcely any variety of type. The later tetra-
drachms, indeed, present a very numerous series of magistrates'
names, but these are, unfortunately, for the most
part unknown from history or inscriptions, 2 and cannot be
arranged otherwise than in alphabetical order. It may,
therefore, not be without interest to the society if I com-
1 Les Monnaies d'Athenes, 4to. Paris, 1858.
2 The few exceptions, such as the series with the names of
Micion and Eurycleides, and those with Apellicon, Aristion, and
the royal name of Mithridates himself, are too isolated to afford
us any material assistance. They are, however, valuable as
criterions of stylo.
VOL. I. THIRD SERIES. L